Good Counsel’s curriculum provides each student with a challenging and rewarding academic experience. Our academic model offers a foundation with which our students can explore their interests and grow intellectually in preparation for college and beyond.

Our curriculum is defined, yet flexible; students can choose a path that allows them to focus on a certain field of study or explore a host of subjects, all while benefiting from a college preparatory program. Our highly skilled and caring faculty are educators who invest in the advancement of every student.

We Believe

As a Catholic school, our program is based upon and inspired by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Every effort is made to foster a spirit and sense of community supported by a belief in the dignity and uniqueness of each individual. Christian values are emphasized in all aspects of the school, but especially through religious studies, retreats, community worship, and various service projects.

We strive to incorporate these Christian values and teachings throughout our entire curriculum. This curriculum offers a core of required and elective courses including International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, Honors, Ryken, and College-Prep classes. Our teachers personalize the educational process and work with students at all levels of development with the goal that each student is supported and known.

A Message from the Principal

A member of the Our Lady of Good Counsel Class of 1993, I still remember the words that appeared on our senior sweatshirts, “Unity Through Diversity.” As students, we recognized the distinctive gifts, talents, interests, and backgrounds represented by our class. This awareness not only continues to exist among today’s students but has increased over the years.

Firmly rooted in the Xaverian belief that educators should meet students where they are, Good Counsel has developed a curricular and extra-curricular program which welcomes learners of all types and interests. In the classroom, students have the opportunity to challenge themselves and explore subjects of personal curiosity including Aeronautical Engineering, America at the Crossroads, Latin, Bioethics and Theater Production.

Beyond the classroom, students have the opportunity to stretch themselves in pursuit of championship caliber athletics, award winning theater productions, or competitive speech and debate. Good Counsel also offers a wide array of clubs for those students whose passion may not lie in the realm of performance or competition. Most meaningfully, students have the opportunity to grow spiritually through participation and leadership in Campus Ministry retreats, service trips, and activities.

At the very heart of all that we do is to encourage students to be their best possible self; to identify their passion and pursue it to the fullest extent possible. Our graduates include Olympic Gold Medalists, a US Ambassador, Hollywood actors, authors, and leaders in business, industry, and public service. We invite you to explore this website and visit our campus to learn more about the academic, personal, and spiritual foundation which enables students to Excel, Serve, and Love wherever life’s journey takes them.

For students seeking rigorous, college-level coursework, our Advanced Placement Program offers 23 courses across all academic disciplines. The AP program allows students to pursue advanced work in one or several subjects and to earn college credit or advanced standing in the subject, depending on their AP exam score.

Our College Preparatory Program provides students with the essential content and skill development needed to succeed in college. Through this comprehensive and challenging curriculum, each student will meet all graduation requirements and be prepared for college.

Our STEM program introduces students to engineering through a nationally recognized, hands-on, project-based curriculum called Project Lead the Way. For the second consecutive year, Good Counsel has been recognized as a Distinguished Project Lead the Way School—a distinction given to only 3% of qualified schools nationally. A separate application, essay, and interview are required for acceptance. Students are admitted into the STEM Program prior to freshman year.

The IB curriculum is recognized by universities as the best preparation for the rigors and expectations of college. Good Counsel's IB Program, which offers 33 courses, is an inquiry based and rigorous two-year interdisciplinary course of study that requires students to take examinations in six subject areas, enroll in a Theory of Knowledge course, and complete an independent research project. This challenging and comprehensive program emphasizes the development of skills that make students successful in college and beyond, and prepares them for a global world. Students are admitted to the demanding IB Program during 10th grade for study during 11th and 12th grade.

Our Xaverian Honors Program challenges qualified high-achieving students to think critically and engage deeply in a given subject. With more than 40 course offerings, this program prepares students in later years for AP and/or IB courses.

Ryken Studies is a college preparatory program designed for highly motivated students who have been diagnosed with mild learning differences. This program assists students in their core courses using varied teaching styles and strategies that focus on skill development in smaller group settings. By junior year, most students move into the College Prep, Honors, AP, and IB Programs as they prepare for college.